The Basics of Non-Toxic Weed Control
I live very close to a river. The storm sewers in front of my house feed into a ditch that flows directly into the river. As a result, I am more conscious of what I use on my garden and lawn. We don’t use anything that could wash into the storm drain and kill things downstream.
That being said, weed control is a problem. Without the high-powered chemicals, I thought I would be forced to hand weed everything, over and over. What I discovered is more eco-friendly ways to kill weeds without killing wildlife and aquatic life.
3 Simple Non-Toxic Ways to Control Weeds
Boiling Water
The easiest way to kill a plant is to pour boiling water on it. You want water fresh off the boil, but it will do a really great job. I have used this very effectively to kill plants between cement cracks.
Boiling Salt Water
For some really stubborn plants, I had to add a quarter cup salt to two quarts of water. Boil it up, and it should take care of everything. Note: don’t use this where you want plants to grow later. Salt will damage the soil for a few seasons.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a wonderful substance. Non-toxic, it is also amazingly cheap. I put some in a spray bottle and spray it on weeds. This is good for small applications, but be careful not to hit plants you want to keep. In addition, I have found that vinegar doesn’t get rid of viney plants, though.
All three of these solutions are earth-friendly and waterway friendly. I never have to worry about run-off from boiling water getting into the river!
Photo by the left-handed robot
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